Robert Kirby, who ran the 89km-ultramarathon in South Africa last month, is considering a role as a marathon ambassador for the event, drawing participants from Asia.
Kirby told the Times that he plans to return next year after completing last month’s race in nine hours and 57 minutes. He says he hopes “to take 12 Asian athletes with [him], maybe some from Macau, maybe some from Malaysia.”
The director of Macau TrailHiker is partly based in Macau and partly in Penang, Malaysia. However, he spends considerable time elsewhere in Asia and further afield.
“It’s an amazing event, up there with [the] Boston, London and Berlin [marathons] – it’s truly iconic,” he said. “For my first attempt, I made a pretty good time considering it’s a very hilly course.”
The ultramarathon, known as the “Comrades Marathon,” is held annually between Durban and Pietermaritzburg. It holds the honor of being the world’s oldest ultramarathon competition, dating back to 1921, and is more than twice the running distance of a regular marathon (around 42km).
In order to complete the race, participants must reach the finish line within 12 hours. Over 14,000 of this year’s 17,000 competitors managed to finish the race.
No Comments